Getting your South Carolina license starts here...

South Carolina licenses General and Mechanical contractors by classification and group dollar limit. You can qualify by financials or a surety bond that matches your group amount. The state also honors exam waivers with select states and NASCLA for certain classifications, but you must still pass the SC Business & Law exam and meet CLB requirements. Start with the official Applications & Forms page and choose the right classification for your work.

South Carolina Contractor Licensing – Classifications, Group Limits & Bonds

South Carolina licenses General Contractors (GC) and Mechanical Contractors (MC) through the Contractor’s Licensing Board (LLR). Licenses carry both a classification (type of work) and a group dollar limit (max job value), with financial statement thresholds or a surety bond in the amount set by the group. (See “Classification Abbreviations & Group Dollar Limitations”.) :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

General Contractor Classifications (Abbrev.)

Asphalt Paving (AP)
Boiler Installation (BL)
Boring & Tunneling (BT)
Bridges (BR)
Building (BD / LB / UB)
Concrete (CT)
Concrete Paving (CP)
Glass & Glazing (GG)
Grading (GD)
Highway (HY)
Highway Incidental (HI)
Nonstructural Renovation (NR)
Marine (MR)
Masonry (MS)
Miscellaneous Metals (MM)
Pipelines (PL)
Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings (MB)
Public Electrical Utility (1U / 2U)
Railroad (RR)
Roofing (RF)
Structural Framing (SF)
Swimming Pools (SP)
Water & Sewer Lines (WL)
Water & Sewer Plants (WP)
Wood Frame Structures (WF)

Building (BD/LB/UB) includes MS, MM, NR, MB, RF, SF, and WF. LB = limited to 3 stories; UB = no height limit. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Mechanical Contractor Classifications (Abbrev.)

Air Conditioning (AC)
Electrical (EL)
Heating (HT)
Lightning Protection (LP)
Packaged Equipment (PK)
Plumbing (PB)
Pressure & Process Piping (1P / 2P)
Refrigeration (RG)

AC includes PK and RG; HT can perform Boiler Installation; 1P vs 2P affects Boiler Installation scope. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Group Limits, Financials & Surety Bonds

GC Group	Max Job/Bid	Working Capital	Net Worth	Surety Bond (if qualifying by bond)	MC Group	Max Job/Bid	Working Capital	Net Worth	Surety Bond (if qualifying by bond)
1	$100,000	$10,000	$20,000	$20,000	1	$35,000	$3,500	$7,000	$7,000
2	$400,000	$40,000	$60,000	$60,000	2	$100,000	$10,000	$15,000	$15,000
3	$1,000,000	$100,000	$150,000	$150,000	3	$200,000	$20,000	$30,000	$30,000
4	$3,000,000	$175,000	$250,000	$250,000	4	$400,000	$40,000	$60,000	$60,000
5	Unlimited	$250,000	$350,000	$350,000	5	Unlimited	$200,000	$300,000	$300,000

Group dollar limits and bond values are from the SC CLB “Classification Abbreviations & Group Dollar Limitations” (Rev. 01/2025). License expirations (GC even-year 10/31; MC odd-year 10/31) and application entry points are posted on LLR’s CLB pages. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Official Links

CLB – Applications & Forms :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Classification Abbreviations & Group Limits (PDF) :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Contractor’s Licensing Board – Overview :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

RECIPROCAL STATES

Reciprocity / Technical Exam Waivers

South Carolina recognizes technical exam waiver agreements with several states and programs for specific classifications. Applicants must still pass the SC Commercial Business, Law & Project Management exam and meet all other licensing requirements. (See “Waiver Agreements with Other States”, Rev. 02/2025.) :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Alabama: Electrical; Heating & Air Conditioning; Refrigeration ⇄ SC Electrical; Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration.
Georgia: Unrestricted Electrical; Unrestricted Conditioned Air (post-6/30/1980) ⇄ SC Electrical; Air Conditioning; Heating. Note: GA does not accept SC waivers as of 4/15/2022.
Louisiana: Multiple heavy/highway/building/mechanical exams ⇄ SC Building, Grading, Bridges, Asphalt Paving, Concrete Paving, Pipelines, Boring & Tunneling, Water & Sewer Lines, Water & Sewer Plants, Pressure & Process Piping (per chart).
Mississippi: Building; Electrical ⇄ SC Building; Electrical.
North Carolina: Electrical (Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited); Roofing; Building; Public Utilities (incl. Water & Sewer Lines/Plants); Grading; Highway (pre-4/1/1999); Plumbing Class 1; Heating Groups ⇄ SC Electrical; Specialty Roofing; Building; Water & Sewer Lines/Plants; Grading; Highway; Plumbing; Heating; Air Conditioning; Packaged Equipment.
Ohio: Electrical; Plumbing; HVAC ⇄ SC Electrical; Plumbing; Packaged Equipment.
Pennsylvania (Reading): Mechanical/Electrical ⇄ SC Electrical.
Tennessee: BC/Building categories and CMC/Mechanical/CE/Elec ⇄ SC Limited/Unlimited Building; AC; Refrigeration; Plumbing; Electrical (per chart).
Texas: Class A/B A/C & Refrigeration ⇄ SC Air Conditioning; Heating; Packaged Equipment; Refrigeration.
Utah (exams prior to specific dates): Various building/mechanical/electrical & trades ⇄ SC Unlimited/Limited Building and trade classifications (per chart).
MASC: Master Electrical/Plumber/Mechanical ⇄ SC Electrical; Plumbing; AC/HT/RG/PK.
NASCLA (Accredited Exams): Commercial General Building Contractors; Electrical Examination Program ⇄ SC Unlimited Building; Electrical. SC accepts all states administering NASCLA Building/Electrical accredited exams.

Important: A waiver applies only to the technical trade exam listed. You must still apply to the SC CLB, meet financial/bonding or net worth/working capital requirements for your group, and pass the SC Business/Law exam. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Source: SC CLB – Waiver Agreements (PDF). :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

South Carolina Contractor License Requirements & Application Help | Contractor Licensing Inc

Get step-by-step help with the South Carolina contractor licensing process—classifications, experience, insurance, and bonds. Contractor Licensing Inc handles filings, and compliance.

Getting your South Carolina license starts here...

South Carolina Contractor Licensing – Classifications, Group Limits & Bonds

General Contractor Classifications (Abbrev.)

Mechanical Contractor Classifications (Abbrev.)

Group Limits, Financials & Surety Bonds

Official Links

RECIPROCAL STATES

Reciprocity / Technical Exam Waivers

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